Closure for culture containers



i Sept. 6, 1927.

D. M. sTUMP CLOSRE FOR CULTURE CONTAINERS- Filed July 6. 1926 v @fac/ Lawzp @M mam Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

DANIEL IVI. STUIVIP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR-TO THE lALBERT DICKINSON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISA CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

CLOSURE FOR CULTURE CONTAINERS.

Application iledJuIy 6,

This invention relates to a stopper or closure for culture containers. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a stopper or closure for culture containers which is simple in construction and eflicient in operation.v f

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved closure or stopper for a culture container having an aperture therein through which the needle for inocu lating the medium in the container may be inserted Aand the aperture effectively closed by pressing the closure or plug into the mouth of the container. 1

These and other objects are accomplished by providing` a construction and arrangement of the various parts in the manner hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, v

Fig. l is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of a culture container showing one form of my improved closure or stopper `construction mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional' view showing the form of the stopper shown in Fig. l depressed into the mouth of the container. s

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View of a portion of a culture container showing. another form of closure member.

'Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view ofthe clo sure member shown in Fig. 3 depressedl into the mouth of the container.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the culture container showing another form of a closure or stopper for containers.

Fig. 6 .is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the stopper shown in Fig. 5 depressed' into the mouth of thevcontainer.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a culture container showing another' form of a closuremember mounted .in the mouth. of the container, and, l y

Fig. '8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the closure or stopper shown yin Fig. 7 depressed into ,the mouth of the container. 1 Y

In inoculatingv a'inedia in a container in which a culture such as bacteria or other organism may grow, I have found itvhi'ghly desirable to provide. as=small annaperture as is :possible through which the needle -for 1926. sei-m1 No. 120,612.

inoculating the media is inserted in order that the media is not exposed to the air during the operation of inoculation. "This In .the drawingsA Iv have illustrated .sev'

eral forms which my invention may assume 1n practice, one form of which is shown in Figs. l and 2 and comprises a stopper 4or closure member` as shown at l0 which is preferably in the form of an inverted frus tum of a cone which is adapted to be mounted in the mouth l1 of the culture container. This stopper or closure member like the otherv stoppers shown .in 'the other forms in the drawings is preferably made from they woodfof @chroma Zagopus, (balsa wood) or other rinaterial of a spongy fibrous nature in which the'iibers of the kstopper lrun longitudinally of the axis ofthe stopper. Stoppers made from ordinary cork are not suitable for present purposes .for they reason that when subjected to steam under pressure, the cork loses its characteristic properties and becomes soft and .impractical as a stopper. Close ibred woods which will withstandl the sterilizing steam, whilel suf licientlyfporous to permit-the passage of any air through them, (aslight Aamount of air being necessary to keep the culturesalive) become so tightlyseated in the, bottle necks that it is impossible tov remove ythemand it isoften necessary lto break the bottle in order `to obtain access to thev containedcultures. d

As a result of long experimentation I have found. that balsa woodis very satisfac-` tory for culture container stoppers VThis wood has the propertyy of resisting. yand not being materially affected by steamV under pressure employed in theV sterilizing process so that the culturecontainers can be .closed before the steaming operation is performed. Balsa wood yStoppers are .sufficiently porous so that the requisite amount vof air necessary to maintain life in the culturey over a considerable period ofy time, will pass through.. the balsa wood Stoppers and in addition balsa wood Stoppers can be withdrawn Afrom the containers ywithout breaking the glass. In the form shown in Fig. l, I have shown an oriliceor aperture l2extending longitudinally of the stopper in a yline substantially parallel withfone, side `ofthe closurememf fil) ber. l/Vhen the plug or closure member is lightly placed in the mouth of the container, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the needle carrying the bacteria or other organism. to inoculate the medium within the container is inserted through the aperture l2 and after the culture has been deposited in the container, the needle is withdrawn and the stopper or closure member is pressed into the mouth of the container to the'position shown in Fig. 2 thereby closing the aperture l2 by the wedging action of the tapered sides of the plug onL the mouth of the container. Y

' The form shown in Fig. 3, the aperture or orifice 13 for the needle assumes a diagonal posit-ion in the plug in which its extends from the side of the plug ata point substantially midway' of its ends, 'to a point which is substantially the center of the smaller end of the plug, so that when the stopper is depressed into the mouth of the culture container or to the position shown in Fig. l, the aperture will be sealed because the open end of the aperture is forced below the top surface of the mouth of the container.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5, the aperture 14e for receiving the inoculating needle is formed on the tapered side of the stopper or closure and when the stopper is forced into the mouth of the culture container or to the position shown in Fig. 6, the aperture is effectually closed by the compression of the material during the operation of forcing the plug or closure into the mouth of the container as clearly shown in Fig. 6. n

In the lmodification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the plug or closureis provided with an inoculating needle receiving aperture l5 whichvextends from a point substantiallyv midway'of the ends of the closure to the smaller end thereof and on one of the tapered sides of the closure member as clearly n shown in Fig. 7 so that when the needle is withdrawn aft-er inoculating the media in the container' ythe plug may be depressed, forcing the upper portion of the closure to a position so that the opening used for inoculating is eifectually closed by the opening being forced below the top surface of the mouth of the' container as clearly shown in Fig. 8. l

In the operation and use of my( improved closures or stoppers, the containers are filled with suitable media in which culture such as bacteria or other organism may grow. The plugs, as above described, are lightly placed in themouth of the containers and after being sterilized and cooled, a Vneedle or other carrier of organism is inserted through the aperture in the plug and discharged into the medium within the cont'ainer.V After this has Vbeen done theneedle is withdrawn and the closure is forced into the mouth of the container effectively closinO' the opening.

lhe subsequent growth of any organism through the pores of the plug may bepievented by treating the plug with chemicals unfavorable to the growth of such organism or by covering the mouth of the container with a substance containing chemicals unfavorable to such foreign growth.

, While in the above specification, I haveV described several forms which my invention may assume in practice, it will, of course, be understood that various other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention-as eX- pressed in the following claims.

' `What I claim as my invention and-desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

l. A closure for culture containers formed of material sufficiently porous to permit the passage of sufficient airV therethrough to maintain'life in the culture for a considerable period of time and in transit, said closure being sutliciently elastic to permit the withdrawal thereof from the container and also possessing the characteristicsv of retaining its elasticity and required porosity when Y subjected to the action'of sterilizing steam and pressure. Y

2. i closuie member for culture containers, comprising a tapered plug made of a porous-spongy material in which the fibers extend longitudinally of the plug, said plug being sufliciently porous to permit the passage of the required amount of air therethrough to maintain life in the culture within the bottle and being su'liiciently elastic to permit ready withdrawal of the closure from the container and `also possessing the quality of retaining Yits elasticity when subjected to the action of sterilizing steam and pressure, said plugV having an aperture therein wherein said plug lmay be depressed in the mouth of said container to a posit-ion in which the opening 4of said aperture may be forced below the top of thel mouth of the container.

3. A closure for'culture containersk madeof Ocltroma Zagopas with the fibers extending longitudinally thereof, said closure being sufficiently porous to permit the ingress of air therethrough into the: container for the cultures and sufiiciently elastic under all conditions to permit the withdrawal thereof uit from the container and possessing the qual- Y ity of retaining its required porosity and elasticity when subgected to the action of sterilizing steam and pressure.

closure member for culture containers havingY an aperture through a por-V into the mouth of said container, said aperdrawal thereof from the bottle after being ture Will be effectually closed, said closure subjected to the sterilizing action of steam member being of suficient porosity to perand pressure. 10 mit the required ingress of air tokeep the In Witness of the foregoing I aiiix my 5 cultures Within the container alive and ursignature.

ther characterized by its capability of maintaining its elasticity to permit ready Withn DANIEL M. STUMP. 

